As he sits in the Portcullis House press bar, Newcastle East and Wallsend MP NICK BROWN is back in Government. The new Deputy Chief Whip and Minister for the North East tells Chronicle Parliamentary reporter Bill Jacobs, in his first full interview since returning to the front bench, about his priorities for the region.

I AM delighted to be back and delighted with both jobs.

I want to be an advocate for the North East. I want to be an advocate within Government, there are a whole lot of issues that are vital to the region.

But it’s not just a question of going into the Treasury or the Prime Minister with a wish list. I wouldn’t get very far with that. I need to have proper priorities.

One of my priorities is the revamp of the Tyne & Wear Metro and the Project Orpheus improvements to buses that goes with it. That is vital not just to Tyne & Wear but to the whole of the region.

Transport within the region is very important and I shall be very strongly making the case in Government for this project to go ahead. I shall be meeting the Tyne & Wear passenger Transport Authority to discuss this.

It was a priority when I was out of Government and it was a priority now I am back in Government.

And another priority is ensuring that the new franchise for the East Coast Mainline between London, Newcastle and Edinburgh maintains the standards set by GNER. Journey times and reliability are vital.

It’s all very well talking about a new high-speed line but that is a long way off and knocking half an hour off the journey time between London and Newcastle is not a priority like ensuring the reliability and speed of the current service.

We are in a unique position to benefit from being between London and Scotland and what is going on in Edinburgh. The North East and NewcastleGateshead are doing very well and we need to promote that.

I am also very keen to promote the services and future of Newcastle Airport. That’s vital.

Another priority is the co-operation between Newcastle and Gateshead. That’s been of enormous benefit to both and we need that to continue.

I also want to see the redevelopment of that corridor of land along the north of the river from my constituency through to North Tyneside where the shipyards were.

We need new, modern hi-tech industry there providing jobs and skills for the people, not just in the city but the whole region.

I will need to take the advice of the expert group advising on strategy, but I would rather see new industry there rather than leisure, retail and housing. Luckily, that is what I think the expert advice is.

But more social and affordable housing is also important. I shall be telling John Shipley, the leader of Newcastle City Council, to think again about demolishing the tower blocks of social housing flats in Walker in my constituency. Now I am Minister for the North East I think he will do.

But I shall be going round the region meeting a whole range of people including those in Northumberland and Durham.

We have two big urban areas in the region – Tyne & Wear and Teesside. We need to capitalise on those but that doesn’t mean I won’t be battling for the countryside areas as well.

As a former Agriculture Secretary I do know something about them.

I want to see the development of the hospitality industry with a new Convention Centre for Newcastle but also promoting some of the hotels in the beautiful North East countryside as international destinations for conferences for big firms across the globe.

There is a lot that I can do and I shall be looking forward to pressing Ministers on the case for the North East on a whole range of issues including jobs, transport, housing and skills.

I have obviously got an important job as Deputy Chief Whip down at the House of Commons, something I know about after being Deputy Chief Whip in opposition and Chief Whip in Government.

That’s important but when I’m not at the House of Commons I will be in the North East.

Everybody knows I am a friend and ally of Gordon Brown. I have known him since 1983 and his door will always be open to me but, as I said, I can’t just go to him or the Treasury with a wish list.

I’ve got to make sure that we spend our money effectively and efficiently and make our bids for Government support well before we can expect any more.

I’m not disappointed about not being back in Cabinet. I am happy to be back in Government and you don’t haggle with a friend over what job you do.

I’ve got two great and important jobs and I am looking forward to doing both of them to the best of my ability for the North East, the Labour Party, the Government and the country.